Tuesday, May 02, 2006

Benefit for Scott Griffin to be held at Fairfield Studios on Sunday, May 21; call to performers from Alan Dyson

Scott Griffin is a guitarist, composer, designer, photographer and filmmaker. Writes his friend and frequent musical partner, Alan Dyson, "Many of you may be aware that Scott has been diagnosed with an aggressive cancer. He is presently doing well as he undergoes radiation therapy and learns to walk again on account of a sudden hip replacement. He is maintaining an amazing attitude and outlook - proving to be an inspiration to all around him."

"In order to provide an opportunity to help him through this challenging time," continues Dyson, "we have scheduled Sunday, May 21st, at Fairfield Studios in Shreveport as a time of musical and spoken word performance to benefit Scott and cancer research."

"Our plan at this time is to record the entire performance, and edit the content into a product that may provide some continued income for his medical expenses."

"Please respond to this," Dyson wrote today to his friends, "with a pledge to perform or provide other support for one of the best friends and collaborators any of us could wish to have. I will keep you updated as more information on this performance, donation opportunities, or other events is made available. In the meantime, please keep him in your thoughts and prayers."

Griffin has been an artistic mensch of this area in recent years. He has photographed and designed covers and visual layouts for magazines such as Forum, has collaborated via his recordings and guitar talent with Arodasi Dance troupe and Alan Dyson and others. He has produced spoken word CD's - Noma Folwer-Sandlin's Unsounds among them - and shot and edited documentary films. He has made jazz with his nylon-string guitar alongside Michael Susano, Dyson, pan player Gordon Nurse (above, at Artspace), Dyson and others.

I have found him a man of unusual good will as well as talent. It is gratifying to know that Griffin's friends have responded to his illness with food and visits and gifts. Let us continue to aid the melodic Griffin and his family.

1 comment:

In addition to this musical component of a two part system of fundraising, I will be calling on visual artists in the community to donate a piece for auction. I realize this request is made of the visual artists in this community about a billion times a year, but this time, it's a little different: It's for one our own.

So many of us in this community who exist on freelancing and McJobs to supplement our art habits are uninsured. This could happen to any of us and this time, it did. It's happened to Scott.

If you're a visual artist and you want to get the jump on the inevitable letter that will come your way, feel free to email me at noma@musebite.com